3 Simple Maintenance Tips to Extend Your Work Machinery’s Lifespan

The faster your work machinery falls apart, the more you’re going to have to devote to it in your budget.

Frequent repairs and replacing machinery add up quickly. However, regular maintenance can keep your costs down and your machines up and running. The better your machinery is maintained, the less often you need to fix it.

Expanding your machinery’s lifespan is easier than you might imagine. We’ve gathered three simple ways for you to do just that.

Keep reading to find out more about how to use equipment maintenance to save you time and money.

1. Create an Inspection and Maintenance Schedule

The best thing you can do to maintain your work machinery is to create a schedule. If everything is inspected every morning at 8 AM sharp, it’s much more likely that small problems will be caught before they become big ones.

Some things you and your employees should be looking for during these inspections are:

General wear and tear

Lubrication levels

Loose parts

Parts that are moving which should not be

Parts that aren’t moving but should be

Anything out of the ordinary

Something else to set up is an official maintenance schedule. You should know how long each part in your machine is supposed to last, and replace it when it reaches that time, even if it still appears to be working fine.

While this may sound difficult, it’s as simple as keeping a log book devoted to each of your machines. Whenever anything is done with the machine, write it down.

Stay on top of it, and you’ll always know when a part needs to be replaced.

2. Keep Work Machinery Clean

Dust and grime can quickly wear out parts, especially those that move fast. Dirt creates friction which heats up and damages parts.

Part of your regular maintenance should, therefore, be cleaning industrial machinery. If you don’t clean it, you run the risk of those small particles getting into everything and causing damage.

Something else to keep clean is the work areas. Depending on your work environment, this may be difficult. However, every step you take to keep the area clean will help keep your machinery clean and lasting longer.

3. Properly Train Operators

Whether someone learned strictly on the job or took heavy equipment operator classes, it’s vital you ensure each person that operates a piece of machinery knows what they’re doing.

Improper machine usage is one of the things that contribute to wear and tear on machines. Someone may be pushing it too hard or using it for something it wasn’t intended to do.

Don’t assume because someone knows how to operate a piece of machinery that they can do it properly. To avoid needing to replace your industrial equipment because of improper use, make sure everyone is trained.

Want More Heavy Machinery Tips?

Now you have three simple ways to keep your work machinery operating well so it will last for its entire lifespan.

If you want more tips on owning and operating heavy machinery, check out our blog. There, you can find everything you need to know about industrial equipment purchasing, maintenance, inspection, installation, and replacement.